8/16 vs Cardinals

[BstHcpr]

I think the walk off against Guardians has to be #1. The fact Christian Vazquez of all people hit the walk off bomb, makes it all the more crazy.

 

But I agree. this is #3.

 

That walk off against the Yankees where they made all the errors in the 9th was pretty crazy too.

 

Yeah, that had to have been as improbable as the Devers HR.

[Spudboy]

Betts is broken, huh SpudBoy?

 

He sure has looked that way for quite a while has he not BstHcpr? For the record I never said he was broken. I pointed out his new found knack of striking out and bailing on low and away pitches. I said these things long before the media or the big time brains of this board did, as I recall.

 

It's nice to see him come up big tonight but we have seen far much less of his contributions fueling scoring this season. If you have not noticed that I don't know how to advise you.

[Jasonbay44]

Betts hasn't been as good as last year, but he's still by far our best position player. His defense and base running alone make him elite. In a down season he's still a 5 WAR player.

[Spudboy]

No runs or RBIs from Nunez or Devers, and yet we pull one out.

 

Good to see others starting to come up big.

 

Shut down pen.

 

Bogey seemingly snapping out of it.

 

Betts finally looking like Betts.

 

Keep it up!

 

Gee. Don't tell me that you had noticed his disappointing offensive performance too?

[BstHcpr]

He sure has looked that way for quite a while has he not BstHcpr? For the record I never said he was broken. I pointed out his new found knack of striking out and bailing on low and away pitches. I said these things long before the media or the big time brains of this board did, as I recall.

 

It's nice to see him come up big tonight but we have seen far much less of his contributions fueling scoring this season. If you have not noticed that I don't know how to advise you.

 

And a bunch of popups too.

 

I still think it's just a slump (hopefully was), and he's going to have a hot streak like Benintendi is having. He's too good to hit as poorly as he was.

[Spudboy]

Betts hasn't been as good as last year, but he's still by far our best position player. His defense and base running alone make him elite. In a down season he's still a 5 WAR player.

 

I said nothing to discredit his overall value and you know it.

 

Can you sit there and tell me that while he has played well that his production at the plate has not been a disappointment?

 

I love the kid's game but ignoring a down trend in his batting is idiotic and serves no purpose.

[Spudboy]

And a bunch of popups too.

 

I still think it's just a slump (hopefully was), and he's going to have a hot streak like Benintendi is having. He's too good to hit as poorly as he was.

 

So you concede that my observations are valid? That's nice, I guess.

 

I do think that it is a slump and that he will find his way back, hopefully soon.

 

But it is clear he has changed his approach and has lost a lot of command of the strike zone.

 

That should worry any serious an knowledgeable fan.

[BstHcpr]

So you concede that my observations are valid? That's nice, I guess.

 

I do think that it is a slump and that he will find his way back, hopefully soon.

 

But it is clear he has changed his approach and has lost a lot of command of the strike zone.

 

That should worry any serious an knowledgeable fan.

 

Yeah, I just didn't agree with Station13 calling him broken.

 

Hopefully, that vintage AB in the 9th gives him some confidence this weekend.

[moonslav59]

Gee. Don't tell me that you had noticed his disappointing offensive performance too?

 

No. He's looked awful of late. I even researched his K rate of over 20 the last 10-12 games, which is about double his norm.

 

I was hoping the big hit was a sign of life, and he did end up with 3 tonight.

 

I was not an immediate projecting a turn around. I didn't mean to imply he was showing he's turned it around, but I can see how it looks like that's what I meant.

 

[TylerD]

He sure has looked that way for quite a while has he not BstHcpr? For the record I never said he was broken. I pointed out his new found knack of striking out and bailing on low and away pitches. I said these things long before the media or the big time brains of this board did, as I recall.

 

It's nice to see him come up big tonight but we have seen far much less of his contributions fueling scoring this season. If you have not noticed that I don't know how to advise you.

 

Players lots of time hit a coldness streak. Happened to Beautista earlier as well and he has caught fire lately. Better to get it out of their system now and get it going come playoff time. Never been worried about Betts. Sometimes one good game to get their confidence back is all it takes.

[Youk Of The Nation]

Xander and Mookie are in a really bad way right now.

 

Can't. Hit.

 

Bogaerts may have had a HR today, and it was awesome, but he's basically been an automatic out since the beginning of July. He's been struggling, and this one HR does not change that. I hope he gets his swing back, but right now today is the aberration based on the last two months of his play.

 

He had 13 hits in July, and 21Ks. Only three of his hits went for extra bases. That's not the usual Bogaerts.

[BstHcpr]

Players lots of time hit a coldness streak. Happened to Beautista earlier as well and he has caught fire lately. Better to get it out of their system now and get it going come playoff time. Never been worried about Betts. Sometimes one good game to get their confidence back is all it takes.

 

Beautista?

[Youk Of The Nation]

Also, I know this doesn't mean anything, but I thought it was a fun tidbit: Bogaerts hit his first career HR against the Yankees in 2013, but that was it for the season. When he started his first full season the next year, his first two HRs of that season were against...Chris Sale and Rick Porcello.

[Emp9]

He sure has looked that way for quite a while has he not BstHcpr? For the record I never said he was broken. I pointed out his new found knack of striking out and bailing on low and away pitches. I said these things long before the media or the big time brains of this board did, as I recall.

 

It's nice to see him come up big tonight but we have seen far much less of his contributions fueling scoring this season. If you have not noticed that I don't know how to advise you.

 

Batting Lead-off for 2/3 of the season didn't help the game come to him, he's had to force things to try and make stuff happen and set the tone. He's a better hitter when he can lay-off pitches that aren't strikes and leading off takes away some of his game plan. Also, pitchers have adjusted and he rarely gets anything inside anymore. It seems like the outside of the plate is his strike zone now and the umpires haven't helped much either with borderline bs calls forcing him to swing at pitches I've never seen him try to swing at. He hasn't lead-off for over a week plus now so I can see him improving. The one good thing out of all of this is that Mookie does really well the more he faces a pitcher and racking up the most plate appearances should help him over the course of the season and these last 40 games or so.... and the play-offs (hopefully).

[Maxbialystock]

I don't think he was blocking the plate on the play. I could be wrong. He seemed infront of the plate and JBJ tried to slide around the tag, that had no ball in the glove.

 

I saw a new angle of the play and agree.

[Maxbialystock]

Betts leads the team in rbi's, runs, and total bases and will likely finish the season that way.

[mvp 78]

Bogaerts may have had a HR today, and it was awesome, but he's basically been an automatic out since the beginning of July. He's been struggling, and this one HR does not change that. I hope he gets his swing back, but right now today is the aberration based on the last two months of his play.

 

He had 13 hits in July, and 21Ks. Only three of his hits went for extra bases. That's not the usual Bogaerts.

 

Two days ago, he was hitting the ball very sharply. It was a sign he's turning it around and not to fret so much.

[jad]

Wow. I expected to see some enthusiasm here after checking the box. Instead, all I see are people complaining about to what particular degree everyone sucks! In any case, seeing the "we-have-the-best-fans-we-play-baseball-the-right-way" Cardinals implode and lose on an error after their manager is ejected for acting like a child is very fulfilling. Now their fans can go back to their rich, culturally advanced lives in that s***-hole state of theirs.

[Bellhorn04]

Betts leads the team in rbi's, runs, and total bases and will likely finish the season that way.

 

Mookie is so freaking good that it's a shock to the system to see him struggle. If he gets hot he can still finish the season with an .850ish OPS.

[Bellhorn04]

Beautista?

 

It's a nice spelling, wrong or not. Makes it sound like a hair salon.

[Maxbialystock]

Mookie is so freaking good that it's a shock to the system to see him struggle. If he gets hot he can still finish the season with an .850ish OPS.

 

Last year the Sox had five players in the American League to 30 in OPS and 1 in the next 30. This year we have none in the top 30 and six in the next 30.

 

However, this team right now is hitting the ball well, hence the great won-loss record in August. Devers and Nunez have helped the whole lineup. Caesar said, veni, vidi, vici. We ain't that good, but we do have Beni, Nuni, Devi, JB, and Bogie.

[S5Dewey]

I don't think he was blocking the plate on the play. I could be wrong. He seemed infront of the plate and JBJ tried to slide around the tag, that had no ball in the glove.

 

I 'ran back' the play and watched it several times, It appeared that Molina had the toe of his left foot in front of the plate and once he got the ball he pivoted the left leg to block the plate with it the same way XBo blocked 2B on a pickoff play recently. It's a great move.. if it's legal.

 

IMO JBJ had no access to the plate other than to go around Molina's leg.

[Maxbialystock]

I 'ran back' the play and watched it several times, It appeared that Molina had the toe of his left foot in front of the plate and once he got the ball he pivoted the left leg to block the plate with it the same way XBo blocked 2B on a pickoff play recently. It's a great move.. if it's legal.

 

IMO JBJ had no access to the plate other than to go around Molina's leg.

Makes sense. Thanks. My guess is the play is "default legal."

[Kimmi]

Batting Lead-off for 2/3 of the season didn't help the game come to him, he's had to force things to try and make stuff happen and set the tone. He's a better hitter when he can lay-off pitches that aren't strikes and leading off takes away some of his game plan. Also, pitchers have adjusted and he rarely gets anything inside anymore. It seems like the outside of the plate is his strike zone now and the umpires haven't helped much either with borderline bs calls forcing him to swing at pitches I've never seen him try to swing at. He hasn't lead-off for over a week plus now so I can see him improving. The one good thing out of all of this is that Mookie does really well the more he faces a pitcher and racking up the most plate appearances should help him over the course of the season and these last 40 games or so.... and the play-offs (hopefully).

 

The funny thing about all that is that I'm pretty sure I just read that Mookie prefers batting lead off.

[Kimmi]

Mookie is so freaking good that it's a shock to the system to see him struggle. If he gets hot he can still finish the season with an .850ish OPS.

 

Mookie is so freaking good that when he struggles he's still currently 12 out of all position players with a 4.2 WAR. A lot of that is from defense, but still.

[Kimmi]

I 'ran back' the play and watched it several times, It appeared that Molina had the toe of his left foot in front of the plate and once he got the ball he pivoted the left leg to block the plate with it the same way XBo blocked 2B on a pickoff play recently. It's a great move.. if it's legal.

 

IMO JBJ had no access to the plate other than to go around Molina's leg.

 

If I'm not mistaken, a catcher is allowed to block the plate once he has the ball (or attempting to catch it) like Molina did. A catcher cannot block the plate waiting for the ball to arrive.

[Kimmi]

Last night's game was an example of how aggressive base running won us the game. Too much is made of the raw number of OOBs. We may be first in OOBs, but we are also 4th in % of extra bases taken.

[TylerD]

Last night's game was an example of how aggressive base running won us the game. Too much is made of the raw number of OOBs. We may be first in OOBs, but we are also 4th in % of extra bases taken.

 

This 100%. And against the great teams in playoffs that is what it takes and of course good pitching.

[Kimmi]

How the f*** do you let that happen, Matt Carpenter?

 

That run saved ended up being the a huge difference maker.

 

In defense of Carpenter, he couldn't be sure whether Jackie was going to make the catch or not. He went back to tag up. IMO, saying that Carpenter was thrown out trying to score from 3rd on a single, while true, is a little misleading. It was more like he was thrown out on a 'sac fly' that wasn't that deep.

 

Not to take anything away from Jackie. He played the ball perfectly and made a great throw.

[Kimmi]

This 100%. And against the great teams in playoffs that is what it takes and of course good pitching.

 

Reading Jackie's comments this morning, he already had it in his mind that he was going to score from 1st on a wall ball. He supposedly sent a signal to Butter to send him if that situation arose.